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Mjrtom7's profile

Explorer

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25 Messages

Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 6:57 PM

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Will Northeast MI ever receive 3G?

I've heard talk about how ATT is "working on their network coverage" and plans to provide 3G service in Northeast MI "in the coming months".  Well, now that another 2 year contract has expired, I'm seriously wondering if I would be better off jumping to Verizon.  The EDGE data network up here if virtually useless.  5 full bars, yet extremely poor data transfer.  

 

Can anyone provide an HONEST answer as to when this coverage is planned to be upgraded???  Verizon has had 3G for quite a long while up here...

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

Basically that is correct. Their goal is to have 3G overlay within a few months first, followed by HSPA+ by the end of the year. Then LTE on all sites by the end of 2014. I am skeptical however that they will have E.B. to all of their rural sites by years end.

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

Traveled up north tonight. Had solid 4G on 75 from Bay City straight through to the St Helen exit (222) and mapped it on Sensorly. Someone else has mapped new 3G coverage in Tawas City/East Tawas area.

Scholar

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136 Messages

11 years ago

I know around NE MI (Presque Isle county, Cheboygan county, and Alpena county) AT&T had Frontier run fiber to all of their cell sites. None of the sites in those counties are using T1's now. This was finished back in June. 

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

NE Lower MI update:

 

Towns that have new HSPA/UMTS service that's not on the map yet: Sterling, Alger, West Branch, Hillman, Lachine, Mio, and Rose City. 

 

Note: The Lovells tower still does not have broadband antennas installed yet:(

 

Tutor

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10 Messages

11 years ago

Come on Att! Get that Lovells tower going! I'll be up there first of Oct, hopefully its done by then.

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

MNelly420

 

I have received some news regarding the tower in Lovells, and unfortunately it's not good. That tower is an old RFB Cellular site, and there are some transport ( T-1) issues preventing AT&T from launching 3G/HSPA+ on that site at this time. From what I heard,  the projected launch on this tower in sometime in March 2014...possibly sooner or even later. That is probably why Tier 2 support didn't have any information regarding a network upgrade on this site when I talked to them back in July. All of the other sites around it now have HSPA/UMTS:)

 

The one good thing I was told , is this site will have Fiber Ethernet backhaul to it when they launch HSPA+ and will also allow them to launch LTE on it sometime next year. For what ever reason, AT&T has opted to not use Microwave backhaul on this site. Sorry I don't have better news.

Tutor

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10 Messages

11 years ago

Oh well. Hopefully by next summer then, or sooner for the locals sake. Doesn't sound like I'd have to go far though. We go into Lewiston regularly.

Scholar

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391 Messages

11 years ago

 

Personally,  because that tower covers such a large area I think it will be upgraded sooner. The biggest factor is waiting for fiber backhaul to the site.

 

Now.... because they opted not to go with Microwave, that could be a very good thing for the residents in the area and I am guessing they will use Frontier for the fiber backhaul. If in fact they do, Frontier will more than likely bring highspeed internet into Lovells. I don't know if they have any source of broadband there.... but Verizon's 3G service is pretty much non existant.

 

On a side note...AT&T's "4G" is pretty decent in Lewiston.

Scholar

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151 Messages

11 years ago

Saw this today:

 

AT&T agrees to LTE interoperability with smaller US carriers

 

Numerous regional US carriers have called for AT&T to support their 700MHz bands, which would give them the LTE devices and roaming coverage they need to compete with national rivals. These networks may soon get their wish: as part of an FCC-led deal, AT&T has agreed to support LTE on the 700MHz A Block frequencies held by smaller providers. While AT&T is short on details, it's already modifying its network to support the additional bands. Compatible devices will arrive in a "reasonable time frame," the telecom giant says. The commitment doesn't address LTE interoperability problems with Verizon and other major US networks, but it should help at least a few tiny carriers stand a fighting chance in the 4G era.

 

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/11/att-agrees-to-lte-interoperability-with-smaller-us-carriers/

 

 

Scholar

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151 Messages

11 years ago

AT&T expands LTE empire with $1.9 billion spectrum purchase from Verizon

 

Verizon and AT&T often spar over network reliability, but the two biggest US carriers aren't opposed to helping one another out when the price is right. AT&T has completed a $1.9 billion purchase of unused spectrum from its primary rival, picking up 39 700MHz licenses that it says will help improve service to 42 million people across 18 states. Verizon Wireless also stands to gain from the deal; it's receiving valuable AWS spectrum in five western markets. As LTE smartphones continue to flood the smartphone market, both carriers have had to rethink their 4G deployment strategies. Verizon will likely use the AWS spectrum to complement its existing 700MHz holdings. The company has already snagged AWS resources from cable providers, a deal that by all accounts hinged on its agreement to offload spectrum to a chief competitor. The spectrum purchase was initially announced in January.

 

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/11/4719682/att-expands-lte-empire-with-verizon-spectrum-purchase

 

AT&T promises to lift the wall between regional carriers and its LTE network

 

Today, regional carriers are one big step closer to being able to roam freely on larger networks while building out their own LTE device catalog. AT&T has announced that it will start working towards making its 700MHz spectrum interoperable, moving forward in a long-running dispute about large carriers' responsibility to share their networks. In a statement, the company promises to invest "considerable time and resources" in an infrastructure change that will let its LTE network support phones designed for for smaller carriers, while also offering more devices that support those carriers' networks.

Regional carriers like US Cellular have been asking for interoperability options for years, saying that the current system makes it difficult to offer roaming and limits the devices they can support. While many networks use the 700MHz spectrum for LTE, it's divided into multiple bands that require different hardware. For AT&T, that's not a problem. For smaller carriers, though, technical problems have persisted even as courts have guaranteed fair roaming prices. And the problem isn't just roaming. LTE phones and tablets are made with big carriers in mind, so many of them won't work on regional LTE bands at all. AT&T has said it will help fix this problem by working with manufacturers on new devices that support both networks, though no timeline is given.

It's certainly a helpful move, but it wouldn't have happened without heavy pressure from the FCC. AT&T has long resisted interoperability rules, said that changes could cause interference in its networks. "Such mandates would be an unprecedented regulatory intrusion into a carrier's right to manage network and device deployment in a manner best suited to serve its customers," it wrote in March of 2012, after the FCC launched an official investigation of the issue. It's continued to be firmly against legal intervention, but this voluntary deal will hopefully satisfy all parties involved. The FCC has praised the decision, with acting chairwoman Mignon Clyburn commending AT&T and others for resolving the issue "after many frustrating years."

 

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/10/4716148/att-agrees-to-make-700mhz-lte-spectrum-interoperable

 

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